


The Time Luke Was Sick

by Eggward_the_3rd



Series: Time After Time [3]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Best Friends, Forehead Kisses, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Platonic Cuddling, Pre-Canon, Sick Character, Sickfic, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:53:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28081986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eggward_the_3rd/pseuds/Eggward_the_3rd
Summary: Luke is sick, the boys take care of him.I don't know how to write summaries, but I think that just about covers it.
Series: Time After Time [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2157372
Comments: 6
Kudos: 99





	The Time Luke Was Sick

Bobby, Reggie and Alex were all laughing as they entered the garage after school. Reggie had just finished telling them how he had misheard his teacher in chemistry that day and almost caused a small explosion. 

“Luke? Where are you, dude?” Called Reggie as they made their way inside. Usually Luke was jumping on them the second they got in the door and talking a mile a minute. They knew he didn’t miss school but, clearly, he missed seeing people all day and was always excited when the band showed up.  
Alex elbowed Reggie hard in the ribs and pointed at the couch. Reggie was confused for a moment, seeing only a pile of blankets there. Then he noticed the pile moving in rhythm with someone’s breath. The boys exchanged worried glances. They were well aware that Luke wasn’t getting nearly enough sleep, between his bursts of songwriting inspiration that always seemed to hit late at night and the stress of having run away it was a rarity that he actually slept through the night. Still, this was an odd time of day for Luke to be resting, he was so insistent that they use every possible minute of time after school to practice. 

“Luke?” Said Alex softly as he approached the pile of blankets and he pulled one back to expose Luke’s face. His cheeks were flushed and he was drooling slightly, it was sort of adorable. 

“Luke, buddy, wake up.” Said Alex quietly as he gently shook Luke’s shoulder. Luke’s eyelids fluttered but stayed shut. A little louder Alex said “C’mon buddy, time to wake up.”

Luke’s eyes opened looking bleary and confused. “What?” He croaked.

“It’s practice time!” Said Reggie happily.

Noticing Luke’s slight flinch at the volume Alex fixed him with a concerned stare. “Are you okay?”

Luke’s eyes met him and he said unconvincingly “Yeah, of course. Just a little tired.” He said finishing with a yawn.

Alex raised an eyebrow. Even Bobby and Reggie looked a little dubious. 

“Seriously, I’m fine,” Luke said, pushing Alex back a little as he sat up. When the blankets fell from him, the boys quickly observed the goosebumps on his arms and the way he was shivering slightly. “Let’s get to practicing boys! I came up with some killer lyrics last night and I want to try them out.”

With a slight shrug, Reggie went to get his bass, followed by Bobby. Alex gave Luke one more piercing look before going to his drums. He didn’t miss the way Luke slipped on a sweater before getting his guitar. Luke who typically hated sleeves and would only wear them when he was outside and would freeze without them, was definitely acting strangely.

Still, he seemed alright as they started rehearsal, and he had been right about his lyrics being killer. The band was eager to try out the melodies he suggested, and Luke practically beamed at Alex’s rhythm suggestions. 

“So I was thinking for this part here, I’ll sing along, and then right there you can come in with the harmony…” Luke cut himself off coughing hard.  
“You okay, dude?” Said Bobby. 

“Yeah, fine. Just got a tickle in my throat.” Said Luke sounding slightly hoarse. “So as I was saying, I think Reggie and Alex should come in here. It’ll be awesome!”

Reggie and Alex shared a look, silently discussing whether or not to push the issue. It was quickly becoming clear to them that Luke was at least a little sick, though they knew it would be next to impossible to get him to admit it. Reggie shook his head slightly, signaling that they should at least wait until the end of rehearsal to try to talk to Luke. 

A few hours later it was time for Bobby to go home, his parents insisted that he be home early on weekdays for family dinners, a source of endless irritation to him but he respected their rules. It was clear that Luke’s “tickling throat” was getting worse, so it was probably good that Bobby left when he did if only to stop Luke from singing as much. 

Luke went to get himself a water bottle from the loft. As soon as he was out of sight Bobby said to Alex and Reggie, “He’s getting sick isn’t he?”

“Seems like it.” Said Alex, “Don’t worry, Bobby, we’ll take care of it.”

“Alright. See you guys tomorrow.” Bobby said holding out his fist for the others to bump in farewell. “See ya, Luke!” He called loudly.

“Bye Bobby!” Called Luke with a wave, hanging over the railing at the top of the loft.

Luke still wanted to rehearse, which they usually did for at least a little while after Bobby was gone but his throat was getting to be really sore and he felt shaky. He decided he’d give his voice a break and settled himself onto the couch with his guitar to try some new chord progressions. Alex and Reggie settled down next to him pulling their homework from their backpacks. 

Luke allowed himself to get lost in his thoughts, strumming quietly and occasionally scribbling a note or two in his notebook. As time went on he was finding it harder and harder to concentrate. He was exhausted and his eyes kept blurring, still he pressed on, refusing to admit to himself or to the others that something was wrong. 

He was startled out of his thoughts by a gentle hand pressed to his forehead. He jumped slightly looking up at Reggie who was looking down at him with a slight frown.  
“What?” He demanded, pulling away from Reggie’s hand and putting down his guitar. 

“You’re really hot.” Said Reggie, the concern evident from the wrinkle forming between his eyebrows. 

“Thanks,” Said Luke with a wink, trying to play it off. The truth was he felt like he was absolutely freezing. He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. 

“You’ve been staring at the same spot on your page for like five minutes and not playing a single note.” said Alex. 

“I’m fine.” Said Luke stubbornly.

“So you keep saying. Listen, you look awful, your throat clearly hurts and I’m pretty sure you have a fever. Why don’t you just admit it? You’re sick.” Alex replied.

“Because, I’m not sick.” Luke insisted, he was getting irritated with Reggie and Alex’s hovering. “Seriously, I’m all good, just a little tired.” He expected the boys to fight him harder but they just sighed in a long-suffering way and returned to their homework.

They continued to sit in silence for another hour or so. By this point, Luke really felt awful. His throat had gotten so sore he was struggling to swallow, and he had to admit that he certainly felt feverish. He alternated quickly from feeling much too warm to freezing and shivering. On top of it all, he was now fighting against waves of nausea. Still, he refused to say anything to Alex and Reggie, recognizing that they were waiting for him to admit it. He could be as stubborn as an ox when he wanted to be and at this point admitting that he was sick would feel like defeat. He thought if he could just hold himself together until they went home then he would be able to curl up on his couch and pity himself as much as he wanted.

That plan was foiled however when a particularly nasty wave of nausea crashed over him and he found himself rushing to the washroom. He stumbled on the way, vision speckled black from standing up too fast. After what felt like a small eternity he found himself on his knees in front of the toilet, and not a moment too soon as the contents of his stomach came rushing up to meet the ceramic bowl. It wasn’t long before Alex and Reggie were by his side again. Reggie rubbing gentle circles on his back. Alex murmuring assurances, as he continued to retch violently. At long last, his stomach settled and he rested his face on the cool seat. 

Gently Reggie pulled Luke back so that he leaned on his chest instead of the dirty toilet. Alex wet a face cloth with cool water and passed it to Reggie, who pressed it gently to Luke’s sweaty brow. Alex flushed the toilet, avoiding looking at the contents as he did. Neither boy said I told you so, which Luke was extremely grateful for. He knew he had been stupid trying to deny that he was sick, but he didn’t want it pointed out.

Alex sat down beside them, though there was barely room for them all in the cramped bathroom. Reggie and Alex started up a light-hearted conversation about what they did at school that day, a gentle attempt to distract Luke from his misery. Alex wanted to take Luke back to the couch, but he knew moving him right now would probably only lead to more vomiting, so there they stayed. More than anything Alex wanted to take Luke home with him so that he could sleep in a real bed in a house with proper heating, but with things being so tense between him and his parents that just wasn’t possible. Things weren’t any better for Reggie at home, but his parents paid so little attention that they probably wouldn’t notice if Luke stayed the night. 

Alex said quietly to Reggie “Can you take him to your place tonight? I would but... “ He trailed off. 

“Of course.” Said Reggie easily, shifting slightly so that Luke was in a more comfortable position. Luke who had been drifting in and out of consciousness caught this part of their conversation.

“I’m fine here.” He said, sounding like a petulant child. “I don’t need to be looked after.”

He tried to push himself up but the sudden movement was too much for his stomach and he gagged again. Just barely managing to lean over the toilet before he heaved repeatedly. Eventually, there seemed to be nothing else to throw up, and yet his muscles contracted again and again. He sobbed slightly, feeling worse than he could remember feeling in a very long time. 

The last time he was this sick he was still living at home. He must have been about ten at the time and his mother had taken the day off work to look after him. Snuggling with him on the couch while they watched his favourite movies. She had lovingly made his favourite soup for dinner and rubbed his back when it made a reappearance into a trashcan later that evening. 

“Easy, buddy, easy.” Said Alex, brushing Luke’s hair out of his face. “It’s okay, it’s okay.”

Luke felt himself relax slightly at the touch, filled with as much love and compassion as his mother’s had been. He was too sick and tired to be embarrassed anymore so he continued to cry quietly as Reggie held him and Alex brushed back his hair. After another twenty minutes or so Reggie suggested they try to move from their spot.

Luke’s stomach had settled considerably and, with the help of the boys, he managed to make his way to the couch. Flopping down on it as soon as he could. He groaned a little, his throat no longer just sore, but burning from stomach acid. As if he could read Luke’s mind, Reggie grabbed the water bottle from earlier off the table and passed it to Luke. Luke took it with a small grateful smile and pressed it to his lips with shaking hands. 

He lay there for a while, vaguely aware of Alex and Reggie talking but not able to make out what exactly they said. The boys had no idea how they were going to get Luke to Reggie’s house. Clearly, he couldn’t walk, even though Reggie only lived about fifteen minutes away, and neither of them had a car they could use. That’s when inspiration struck for Reggie.

“Hey Alex, remember the old wagon we found when we first started using the garage?” 

“Reggie, you’re an absolute genius!” Alex whisper shouted, not wanting to disturb Luke. “I’ll go get it if you wake him up and pack his bag.”  
Reggie stood from his perch on the edge of the couch and quickly set to work gathering some of the clothing Luke had left lying around. He made sure to include the hoodie Luke had borrowed from Alex a couple of years ago and never returned. They had all noticed that he tended to wear it when he was upset, and Reggie knew it would help to comfort him.

He was heading back over to Luke at the same moment Alex arrived looking triumphant as he pulled the battered old wagon behind him. It had been among the junk left in the garage when they had first started renting it. The kind old woman who let them use her space had said they could have anything they found left in there. They never thought that offer would come in handy, but here they were. 

“Ready?” Said Alex.

“Now or never, right?” Reggie replied. He sighed a little and prepared to wake Luke. “Luke? Dude, come on, you gotta get up. Just for a minute, then you can go back to sleep.”

Luke groaned and rolled over so that his back was towards the boys.  
“Luke, come on, please.” Pled Alex. In reply, Luke simply grabbed the blanket that had slipped down to his waist and pulled it up to his shoulders. 

“Reggie,” Alex said after a moment's hesitation, “Grab his legs.”

Without a second thought, Reggie grabbed Luke by the ankles and Alex grabbed him under the arms. “On three,” Said Alex “One, two, three.”

With a sudden heave, they lifted Luke up and waddled slightly to the left, putting him down as gently as possible in the wagon. Luke stirred slightly getting comfortable and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like cursing, before becoming still. Within seconds he was back to sleep, snoring in the way he only did when he had a runny nose. 

Alex and Reggie smiled down at him fondly, before Alex grabbed the wagon’s handle and Reggie grabbed Luke’s bag. They both piled as many blankets as they could on the sleeping boy before making their way out into the cool evening air. The walk to Reggie’s house was almost pleasant, except for when Luke woke himself up from coughing so hard. They stopped then, Reggie helping Luke to sit up and Alex hovering nervously. Eventually, his breathing returned to normal, so he lay down again and they continued the walk. 

When they got to Reggie’s house he went inside as Alex pulled the wagon to the side of the house, stopping under Reggie’s window. Reggie appeared there moments later and opened it as wide as it would go. Thank goodness his room was on the first floor thought Alex as he woke Luke and helped him climb inside. It was an unspoken rule that they always entered Reggie’s house through the window, and usually it wasn’t too much trouble. This time was a little more difficult, after some careful maneuvering and grunts and sighs from all three of them they were safely inside the house. Reggie supported most of Luke’s weight as he led him to the bed, gently helping him lie down and tucking him in. Luke had barely been conscious the entire way over but seemed to come to his senses for a brief moment. He looked up and Alex and Reggie through bleary eyes and said softly “thank you.”

Reggie and Alex smiled lovingly and said together, “You’re welcome.”

“I love you,” Luke mumbled snuggling down under the blankets. 

“We love you too.” Said Reggie affectionately, leaning down to press a kiss on Luke’s forehead. The barest trace of a smile graced Luke’s lips before he let out a soft snore.

Alex and Reggie looked at each other both feeling extremely relieved. Their friend was safe with them and that’s all that matters. 

“I’m going to have to skip school tomorrow.” Said Reggie matter of factly. He knew full well that Luke would still be a mess in the morning.

“I’ll cover for you, and I’ll talk to Bobby. Plus, I’ll watch him after school so you can at least do some of your work.” 

“Thanks,” Reggie paused, “We’re going to make great parents some day aren’t we?”

Alex chuckled and said, “Yeah, I guess we will.”

Alex let himself out the window promising to check in before school the next morning. Reggie waved goodbye one last time before crawling into bed beside Luke. Luke turned in his sleep to snuggle into his chest and Reggie felt himself relax more than he had in a long time. Both boys got a better sleep than usual that night, and if they woke up holding hands that was nobody else’s business but their own.


End file.
